FIRST COUNCIL MEETING OF 2010

The meeting began with a quick race for Council President, Mr. Price nominated Pat McLaughlin and Mrs. Benedetti nominated John Gonder. Mr. Gonder won 5-4 with Benedetti, Messer, Zurschmeide, Coffey, and himself voting for him. Mr. McLaughlin got the silver medal as VP.

After the committee members were appointed and/or voted in, the next order of business were the public communications. The parking permits were the main topic tonight. Jameson Bledsoe, Randy Bulleitt, and Vickie Nugent, all Uptown Neighborhood residents spoke in favor. They all discussed their own parking problems and said they would pay to have a designated spot in front of their homes. Randy Smith said he lives on the narrow part of Elm St. He questioned the the idea of having 20' per space considering some lots are only 35' wide. The council voted and decided to sent this Ordinance to committee.

There were a few issues discussed during the city official communications. Mr. Gahan said that A 09-21 (the $400,000 for the flood victims) would be back on the agenda for a 3rd reading at the next meeting.

Mr. Malysz, speaking for the Mayor, urged that A 09-22 also be added to the next agenda (this was the $2,000,000 from EDIT for the fire and police).

said this will be reviewed by the Rules Committee and the Mrs. Benedetti asked for a prompt decision on hiring a new attorney for the council. Mr. Gonderrecommendations will be considered by the council. Mr. Coffey stressed that a Floyd Co. resident will be preferable.

There was also much discussion on Resolution 10-01 concerning the Coyle property. The city has already spent approx. $50,000 for appraisals and an enviromental study and enlarging the TIF area will help to recoup these funds. This also has been sent to committee.

This is a very short summary but the meeting ended by 9:00 with no fireworks. But the year is still very young. Stay tuned.

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

HAPPY 2010 NEW ALBANY

It is a new year and a new decade. I thought about making predictions as others have but I'm no fortune teller. If I could tell the future, well, let's just say my bank account would look a lot better.

Readers, if anyone wants to make predictions or discuss 2009 please do so. Should be an interesting "conversation".

I thought about making the usual New Year's Resolutions but decided to list New Year wishes instead. They are listed in no particular order. Just wishful thinking.

1. For everyone to have health care, not the expensive kind with high deductibles, but the kind that pays for everything, like all of the other civilized countries have.
2. For everyone who needs a job to find a good one. A job with a living wage and good benefits.
3. For everyone to have a clean, safe home which they can afford.
4. For New Albany to have working sewers and stormwater drains.
5. For New Albany to repair all of it's unsafe and dilapidated homes.
6. To have the Greenway project finished so everyone can walk along the riverbank safely.
7. For the K & I Bridge to be opened for pedestrians.
8. For the continuation of the revitalization of New Albany's downtown, including the Main St. Master Plan.
9. To end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home.
10. For people to quit trying to take "In God We Trust" off of our currency.

GREETINGS

JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

NO HELP FOR THE FLOOD VICTIMS

I am very disappointed after last night's council meeting. The first item on the agenda was the resolution for the $400,000 to help the flood victims of last August. Jason Hublar and his wife Crystal told of how not only their possessions but the school supplies they purchased for their students were lost. Not only that but they had to take out a loan to cover their loss.

My own brother-in-law and sister-in-law also will be forced to borrow to pay for the repairs to their furnace. I had assured them that the city would take care of them and secured the forms for them to complete and send to Shane Gibson. I have not talked to them yet but they subscribe to the Tribune so they will find out. They are both retired so money is tight, but oh well, that's the way it goes.

I want to thank Shane Gibson, Jeff Gahan, Pat McLaughlin and Dan Coffey for their efforts. These gentlemen spoke about the people who have been devastated by the flood. The rest of the council wanted a long term fix. Mr. Gibson wanted a long term fix also but he knows the people are hurting now. He wanted to reimburse the applicants for their loss and use the rest of the $400,000 for fixing the creeks and ditches. Made sense to me.

Also on the agenda was the request of an appropriation for $2,000,000 to fund the police and fire departments. It was decided to postpone the vote until there was more investigation.

The vacant Trinity Plaza building on the corner of Daisy Lane and Green Valley Rd. will be used as a furniture store for two years. The Planning Commission hopes that by that time a medical facility will replace the furniture store.

And last but not least the $300,000 loan from the Rainy Day Fund to the Storm Water Fund was passed. It was also decided that after three years the Storm Water Fund needs a audit.

LET'S BUILD THE YOUTH SHELTER FIRST

There was an article in Saturday's Tribune about the proposed baseball and softball complex. This "Field of Dreams" as it is called would be built behind Home Depot and cost $10 million dollars.

I must agree with Councilmen Messer and Price that this is not a high priority. Yes our children need such a facility but this need is not urgent, I consider it more of a want.

Want we need to do is get off of our collective behinds and build a youth shelter. Our children are living in conditions that I'm sure none of us would want to live in. They are there because conditions at home are even worse!

These are our (Floyd County) children also. And although they may benefit from the "Field of Dreams" also, they need a decent place to live first. I cannot understand why they are made to wait. A new home for our kids would cost a lot less than 10 million, and this is a high priority.

Please, New Albany and Floyd County, won't you work together and make this happen?

SORRY, I DIDN'T MAKE IT

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the council meeting last night.

Will anyone who was there please give us the scoop?

thanks,

Shirley